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44. Skipping
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in With the Fire on High, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age and Teen Parenthood
Creativity vs. Professional Norms
Food and Connection
Caregiving, Independence, and Identity
Support, Community, and Mentorship
Summary
Analysis
When Emoni gets home from work, she kisses ’Buela and goes to check on Babygirl, who’s already asleep. Soon, Emoni is going to have to figure out how to fit another bed in her room. This is supposed to be Tyrone’s weekend, but he and his family are out of town, so Emoni is glad to have Babygirl. Back in the living room, Emoni sits next to ’Buela and thanks her for putting Babygirl to bed. ’Buela says Julio called and asked for Emoni to call him back; it has nothing to do with the storm. Emoni laughs and asks who he thinks he is, but she knows ’Buela doesn’t see Julio’s behavior as all that bad. She warns Emoni to let go of her anger, and Emoni agrees to call.
Note that when Emoni gets home, her focus is on Babygirl and figuring out how to rework her life to accommodate her growing daughter. Her focus, in other words, isn’t on herself; it’s on the person she’s responsible for. As she sees it, Julio demanding a phone call from her through ’Buela is doing the exact opposite, as it seems like he’s not respecting her autonomy or helping her as she matures. ’Buela is also in a tough spot here, as she might have more empathy or insight into why Julio behaves the way she does (since she’s his parent), though she’s also Emoni’s primary caregiver. Put simply, her loyalties are split.
Themes
Instead of calling Julio, Emoni calls Angelica. Emoni is going shopping in the morning, so if Angelica wants anything different for her anniversary dinner, she needs to say so now. Angelica says she just wants something fancy, preferably something Emoni is learning about in class. (Emoni hasn’t told Angelica or ’Buela that she’s been skipping.) Emoni says she has it all figured out.
Rather than call Julio, who makes her feel abandoned, Emoni calls Angelica. Angelica is not only supportive; in asking Emoni to cater her anniversary dinner, Angelica is also letting Emoni shine and do what she loves and does best. Keeping it a secret that she’s skipping, though, again highlights Emoni’s independent streak—in addition to possible shame about choosing to fail a class.
Themes
